Fluid systems are often an important power source for manufacturing, material handling, mobile equipment and other segments of industry. Fluid power is very useful in operating machines and tools, material handling, for lifting, moving, clamping or other operations. While various uses are well known in the field, the applicability of fluid power grows each day.
Of course, in order to put the fluid power to useful work, the fluid msut be transported to the machine or tool. The transporting of the fluid may be accomplished through a system of permanent piping. But often, flexibility is required, or at least desired. Such may be the case either where free movement of the tool is required during use, or where relocation of the machine or tool is necessary between uses. In these cases, flexible hose, such as rubber or other materials, may be utilized to connect the machine or tool to the power source.
Certainly, it may be seen that it would be advantageous to be capable of adding or subtracting tools, machines or additional pipes and hoses into the system without the necessity of shutting down the fluid power supply. Again this is a problem which has been recognized prior hereto and solved through the use of a device which has come to be known as a quick-disconnect.
The idea behind the quick disconnect is to provide a simple snap-in, locking, sealing engagment between portions of the pressure system. The quick disconnect consists of two portions, a coupler and a nipple. One of the two portions includes a spring biased valve which ordinarily blocks the fluid flow. This portion, with the valve, is installed in the pressure side of the system and thus blocks fluid flow unless the valve has been opened by interconnecting the two portions.
The remaining portion of the quick disconnect (the nipple) is installed on the tool, machine or additional line side of the system. This portion presents an unobstructed flow to the fluid once the portions are interconnected.
The interconnection of the coupler and the nipple is obtained by inserting the free end of the nipple into the open face of the coupler. The outside of the nipple and an inner surface of the coupler are mating surfaces which sealingly engage when properly aligned. Once the mating surfaces are engaged, the coupler and nipple are locked together by a sliding cover on a coupler having detent balls which fall into a circumferential groove in the nipple.
The present state of quick disconnect is such that first, the sliding cover on the coupler must be held back while the nipple is inserted thus requiring two hands to connect. Second, the sealing surfaces of both the coupler and nipple are exposed and thus susceptible to dirt, grease and other undesirable substances.